Anyway, the NSW Labor Party basically owns workers! They can parachute themselves to any union movements. They are also free to take bribes and sell out workers rights as identified in Ghost and Gas – No Conspiracies. They have done so many times before.

Taxi Driver Entitlement under the Law was demolished due to The NSW TWU’s Crime against Taxi Drivers! It was a taxi driver sellout by the NSW TWU leaders like Harry Quinn and his gangs. They did so in pursuit of financial gains and according to the news reports of that time, Mr. Quinn had deposited a large amount of cash at the Commonwealth Bank, Eastwood Branch. When he was questioned, “Mr. Quinn, how did you get this money”? His reply was, “winning from the races”.

Yesterday, Ms. Lee Rhiannon MLC went on to ask a few questions of Reg Kermode regarding Labor Party President Steve Hutchins Bribe Affairs, but, she was stopped by the Labor Party MLC!

Personal friend of Reg Kermode and the founding Vice President of Cabcharge Limited Neil Robert Mayell and his son Robert Mayell are two enemies of taxi drivers indeed!

Robert Mayell and other Transport Workers Union identities organised a “phantom strike”at Granville Taxi Base, Sydney, NSW to defraud taxi drivers. They were assisted by labor lawyer Adam Hatcher under the instruction of current NSW Labor Party boss Steve Hutchins who was the Secretary/Treasurer of the TWU at that time. They did so against the wishes and interests of taxi drivers as modestly narrated in Ghost and Gas – No Conspiracies.

Today, at the NSW Upper House Inquiry, Ms. Lee Rhiannon of the NSW Greens made some efforts to ask a few good questions to Reg Kermode regarding this issue. Unfortunately, the NSW Labor Party MLC of the same Committee was a bit obstructive and thus in a way he blatantly protected the NSW TWU and leadership’s crime spree.

Obviously, I would like to know, “How did Reg Kermode manage to do this? Did he bribe TWU secretary Steve Hutchins, CC Connor, Adam Hatcher, … ?”

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

According to the law of the land, the bailor is responsible for fuel and wash.

However, at the Industrial Relations Commission the “taxi mafia” made an application to pass the responsibility of fuel and wash to the bailees without any compensation whatsoever.

Further to ICAC Submission, long long ago; a “phantom strike” was called at Granville Taxi Base, Sydney, NSW of the ‘lucky country’! The TWU trouble shooter named Robert Mayell who used to work around the adjacent area quickly went over there and negotiated a settlement! The ‘Pay-in’ went down by five dollars!!

The following day, a number of taxi drivers were frog marched behind the “messiah” Robert Mayell at the Industrial Commission in front of CC Connor (NSW IRC Matter No 2383 of 1993).

No one is suggesting any conspiracy here! Poor Faruque and a few taxi drivers busted in anger and confronted the “messiah” Robert Mayell and the Transport Workers Union lawyer Adam Hatcher. During that time those new taxi drivers of Granville asked Faruque to be quiet and follow Mayell. Faruque told them, “I do not know who you are and I have not seen you in any of TWU meetings earlier – who are you people and what is the game going on here”?

Later many of these people confessed to Faruque and others that they were not even members of the TWU, many of them were not financial members of the union and the taxi bosses encouraged them to join in the TWU!

During the proceedings, the TWU lawyer said to CC Connor, “we reserve the right to oppose at a later date”.

The good CC Connor found the opportunity and then he keenly passed the responsibility of gas and wash to the bailees without any compensation whatsoever. He did so despite strenuous objections made to him by Faruque and other drivers.

The decision by CC Connor did not change the bailor/bailee remuneration principle or law, but he made a decision which was not opposed by the parties.

A few weeks later the LPG price jumped from $A0.20-$A0.30/L to $A0.50-$A0.60/L.

An application was made to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on a different ground. After a futile exercise, the price went down for a while.

Today, who is increasing the LPG price and on what basis no one knows or cares. The net impact is the weaker party in the chain is carrying the burden while “taxi mafia” is laughing all the way to the bank. The TWU lawyer Adam Hatcher found a chamber at the higher end of the town and become a BARRISTER! The good union boss Steve Hutchins became the president of the NSW Labor Party and eventually a number one ticket SENATOR from NSW.

Taxi drivers made an appeal to the Full Bench.

After a long and costly exercise, we found out that only the TWU have the right to represent taxi drivers at the Industrial Commission! During that hearing the rights and wrongs of the actual case were not discussed.

That means, in reality the court said the TWU can do whatever they like and they can ignore their own taxi driver members all together or their welfare! They are virtually not answerable to anyone. The union bosses do not have to follow justice, fairness, courtesy or common sense! Since then the union removed a few bi-laws of their own constitution i.e. they don’t have to advance the well being of their own members”. The law is same today.

Whether we drivers like it or not, even if the TWU got any taxi driver members or not they will decide the bailee taxi drivers working conditions. No matter, how sad, immoral and unlawful they are.

Faruque and others used to expose them in the media. However, the union bosses used to make attempts to trap taxi drivers and block them from the media, parliament, etc. etc. Some of the documents are very revealing.

I say, the most tragic thing of my life is that knowing and dealing with the NSW Transport Workers Union.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ted Hirsch wrote:

From memory, about 4-5 weeks ago gas rose to a minimum 55/ litre and up to 70/litre.After cabbies got used to the shock, then a week or two ago it rose to minimum 65/litre and up to 75/litre.Did you say price gouging, Brian? Tut, tut. But Yes, getting our Media Manager onto it sounds worthwhile !

On Wed 19Dec07 in the SMH, Gordon Samuels announced that the ACCC inquiry had NOT found any evidence of petrol price collusion. And Coles and Woolies dockets were cleared from accusations of higher shelf prices. Independent servos disappearing was is part of a long term trend, although they are hotly contesting this finding (self interest obviously). It is proposed to introduce a daily petrol price information scheme, popular in WA and which has reduced volatile price changes to once per day. By 4pm the next day's price is shown on the computer. No mention of gas prices or gouging by the ACCC, of course. Our in house historian Mr. Ahmed, tells of an IRC "temporary decision" some years ago which, thanks to the TWU made drivers pay for fuel, whereas previously Bailors paid (or bailors/bailees split the costs?).

Faruque reckons taking this to the IRC for review is too difficult and costly. He reckons Parliament, somehow. Any specific advice, Faruque/Ernie suggest IPART gives us a handout for fuel price increases. That's the easiest approach, no doubt, albeit in June/July from memory and a massive amount of work if we do the full Monty! (Should IPART be added to our Calendar?) (BTW, why are radio jobs so poorly returned, Ernie?

Cheers to all. Ted

Ernie Mollenhauer wrote:

As bus fares have just been increased, their explanation being increased costs, I reckon there are more than reasonable grounds to pester Ipart for an increase in taxi fares. The other string in the bow would be the currently poor responses to radio booking which are now even less attractive than before. Is there support for a claim, (seeking to leave the meters alone) for an increase in the radio booking fee to say $3 so they can knock us back to $2?

To the committee, Last night while filling my cab with gas at the Legion base at 65.9 cents per litre another driver told me he had narrowly avoided paying 74.9 at Crows Nest, and he estimated that it was costing him about $100 a week extra. My recollection is that when the fare rates were increased back about July the cost of gas rose from about 48 to 52 cents per litre. If my memory is correct that equates to about a 40% rise in less than 6 months. The term "price gouging" springs to mind. I am wondering whether the NSWTDA could do a bit of probing and perhaps create a bit of noise so that these prices are justified. Brian